To Compare The Acute And Late Adverse Events And Efficacy Of Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas Receiving Conventional External Beam Radiation Therapy (RT) Versus Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).

Objective To compare the acute and late adverse events and efficacy of patients withnasopharyngeal carcinomas receiving conventional external beamradiation therapy (RT) versus intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT).Methods203patients with newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated in ourinstitution between May2008and December2010were systemicallyreviewed, including100cases administered with conventional RT (RTgroup) and103cases with IMRT (IMRT group). The conventional radiationconsisted of a prescription dose of66～74Gy to the target in thenasopharynx. For IMRT, the prescription dose delivered to the gross tumorvolume in the nasopharynx (PTVnx) varied from70.08土1.81Gy/31-33f;67.38土2.58Gy/31f-33f to the positive neck lymph nodes(PTVnd);to thehigh risk regions(PTV1)61.46土2.13Gy/31-33f； and low riskregions(PTV2)54.12土2.04Gy/31-33f.Acute and late adverse reactionswere observed and compared between RT and IMRT groups, includingacute reactions as xerostomia, odynophagia, dermatitis/mucositis and lateevents as trismus and muscles／soft tissue.Results Compared with RT group, IMRT group showed less acute reactions inxerostomia, odynophagia, dysphagia and dermatitis and mucositis(P＜0.05), and Late reactions in trismus and muscles／soft tissue (P>0.05)showed no difference in both groups.Conclusions As compared to conventional RT, IMRT could decrease acute side events,and improve the quality of life in patients with nasopharyngealcarcinoma.